Canadian feature documentaries will step into the global spotlight when the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicks off on Thursday (Sept. 7). And for some nonfiction filmmakers, those additional eyeballs are more critical than ever.

TIFF documentary programmer Thom Powers tells Playback there were more than 800 international feature documentary submissions for this year’s festival, more than 90 of which were Canadian. (Up from 716 and 76 in 2022.)

“One reason, from what we gathered from talking to filmmakers, is that a number of films that got slowed down during COVID,” he says. “In the last year they’ve geared back up and were able to finish, in addition to the films that started last year.”

According to the programmer, the number of Canadian films eventually selected for the 2023 lineup was on par with previous years. In the Docs program those include marblemedia’s Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, Seeing
Red 6 Nations’ Boil Alert, and Cineflix Productions’ queer doc Summer Qamp.

But this year there will also be prominent nonfiction films on offer outside the dedicated TIFF docs stream, namely Visitor Media’s Swan Song, about Karen Kain’s 2022 production of Swan Lake for the National Ballet of Canada (debuting as a Special Presentation) and Gimme Sugar’s Hate to Love: Nickelback (pictured right), which makes its world premiere as one of this year’s Gala Presentations.

“That is probably an unusually high representation – to see so many Canadian documentaries spread across multiple sections,” says Powers.

According to the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), that sort of representation makes sense, given the findings of its most recent research. On Sept. 12 the organization releases its seventh edition of Getting Real – its economic profile of the Canadian documentary production industry – and according to DOC executive director Sarah Spring, one key takeaway is that Canadians are watching more homegrown documentary films.

According to the report, between 2017-18 and 2020-21 fiscals the average weekly viewing hours of Canadian long-form docs in English Canada went from 10.5 million to 11.2 million, while in French Canada it jumped from 2.2 million to 5.1 million.

“We have a very strong international presence, but Canadians also love watching our own docs,” she says. “Once Canadian docs are released, they travel for years. Their impact is felt for generations.”

However, while the report shows that viewer appetite for long form docs is up, funding is down. “Broadcasters have shifted from funding features and one-offs in favour of documentary series,” she says.

According to the report, production volume of doc series in 2016-17 was $154.9 million. That jumped to $270.4 million by 2020-21. Over that same time, one-off docs dropped from $68.4 million to $45 million and features dropped from $29.6 million to $19.4 million.

Project-wise, documentary series also increased (from 142 to 217) while single episodes and one-offs dropped from 214 to 149. Features dropped from 60 to 35 during that same time frame. Notably, feature docs in 2016-17 accounted for 5.1% of total Canadian production volume, but by 2020-21 that had dropped to 2.4%.

“You can see it almost disappearing,” says Spring. “A lot of filmmakers are making films without adequate funding, or they’re not funding it here. If 90 films were submitted to TIFF, there’s a lot of talent out there being under served by the current broadcasting and funding sector.”

Leveraging market buzz

For filmmakers whose projects are debuting at TIFF, a buzzworthy launch is an important step when it comes to appealing to international buyers. It can also be a first step for new filmmakers when it comes to securing future project funding. But doc makers have also begun investigating new ways to fund their projects.

“TIFF programmed my first short that I made in school,” says Swan Song (pictured left) director Chelsea McMullan of her 2006 project Plume. “It opens up the world of funding and other opportunities. This feels like we’re growing within the festival itself, now with Swan Song being a feature presentation.” ZDF and ARTE will broadcast the feature in Germany, France and other European territories.

The interest the festival garners can also be a launch pad for international acclaim and recognition, Powers adds. He points to Sarah Polley’s 2012 entry Stories We Tell, Brigitte Berman’s 1985 Oscar-winning project Artie Shaw: Time Is All You’ve Got, and Jennifer Baichwal’s 2006 film Manufactured Landscapes as three examples of films that established themselves at TIFF before going on to international acclaim – and that’s especially important when the stories that are being told are uniquely Canadian.

“Mr. Dressup is a name that won’t be familiar to most people outside of Canada, but will be a real discovery film this year,” Powers says. “Summer Qamp is being represented by Submarine [Entertainment], a sales agent that has a long track record of selling films out of TIFF, so that will be one to watch. Swan Song is represented by Dogwoof, another sales agent that has made a lot of big sales at TIFF over the years. Those are some significant factors and those films are going to be able to leverage the festival.”

For Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe director Rob McCallum, a premiere at TIFF “is everything” in terms of publicity and film growth when introducing Ernie Coombs and his beloved children’s character to the world. “I can’t think of a bigger stage to unveil a doc, especially one that is so richly tied to Canadian history with its roots on CBC and about a show that really informed the country,” he says.

“There isn’t always an equal playing field with how many feature-length documentaries get into the local movie theatres. Very few get to play, and the ones that do certainly don’t always have the longevity that some of our narrative offerings do,” he continues. “So to premiere at a festival like TIFF on the big screen, that sends a big message. You can’t put a number on that or quantify it. It’s a massive thing for all doc lovers and makers out there.”

Producer and marblemedia co-founder Mark Bishop says his main goal at TIFF is building excitement and publicity around the film ahead of a festival run and premieres on Prime Video and CBC. But they’re also working on a licensing and merchandising campaign he says has already garnered a lot of interest since the TIFF announcement, with a line of consumer products coming out around the fall launch in conjunction with CBC.

“We’re working with Segal Licensing, Wexworks and CBC to extend our licensing and merchandise program into North American retailers – through brick and mortar and online opportunities,” explains Bishop, who also served as EP on Mr. Dressup. “Retro brands are on trend and we believe that our merchandising program will make fans of Ernie Coombs, Casey and Finnegan, hearts sing with authentic merchandise from the documentary.”

According to Cineflix Media EP Tanya Blake and Cineflix Productions president J.C. Mills, who both serve as EPs on Summer Qamp (pictured right), their inboxes have been flooded since the film was announced at TIFF. The film is fully financed and will debut on Super Channel in Ontario and TVA in Quebec. But, coming out of TIFF, they hope to bolster international sales and enter other festivals. They also hired a PR company to help with the push.

“Submarine is viewed as one of the top sales agents in the world for what we do in docs,” says Mills. “For them to come on gives us instant credibility in the marketplace.”

He adds they’re still contemplating the best ways to use the world premiere for additional publicity, and are also considering potential merchandising and other opportunities.

Many feel we’re at a pivotal moment for Canadian feature docs. Festival interest could present a chance for Canadian funders to correct some of the findings from DOC’s report and align itself with viewer habits.

“With the streamers, we’ve seen this rise in interest in documentaries. That is a real opportunity,” says Bishop.

“For many years, documentaries – especially in Canada – have been challenging to finance,” he continues. “It’s challenging getting broadcasters on board, challenging to raise enough financing, having to look outside. Now we have more homes and more opportunities. People love to dive into these stories, and opportunities like TIFF bring people together and spark a real national conversation.”

This story originally appeared in Playback‘s Fall 2023 issue